Karachi: Irfan Hussain, the noted columnist of the Dawn, has brought to light the travails of a Hindu family whose lives “suddenly fell apart” when three girls of the family went missing without trace, and a few days later were told that they have converted to Islam on their “free will”.

The parents have not been able to see their daughters except in the presence of a dour policewoman and the daughters themselves covered in burqa with only their blood-shot eyes visible.

Irfan Hussain says that in a society based on faith, the minorities have been marginalized to the point where they are tempted to convert simply to get ahead in life.

According to the article in the Dawn, the three girls - Reena (21), Usha (19) and Rima (17) - sent missing on October 18, had seemingly vanished without a trace. After searching frantically for the girls, their parents approached the local police station where the SHO put them off without registering a case for a couple of days. An FIR was filed only after the Clifton DSP gave an order in this regard.

The FIR, registered on October 22 for kidnapping, named three young men from the neighbourhood as the principal suspects, and immediately, Sanno and his wife started getting threats from their neighbours.

Within days, they received a package by courier containing three identical affidavits signed by their daughters, stating that they had converted to Islam of their own free will. The papers contained in the courier said: “That since my parents are Hindu and after conversion of my religion, it is not possible for me to live and pass my life in Hindu system/society [sic] and therefore, I have decided to live separately...”

According to the affidavits, the girls, now renamed as Afshan, Anam and Nida, were living in the hostel of the Madarsa Taleem-ul-Quran, and were being instructed by a local moulvi.

On November 10, a court order directed the police and the administrators of the seminary to arrange a meeting between the girls and their parents. Sanno and Champa finally met their daughters, but all along the meeting, a dour woman was present with the girls, besides a couple of cops. In subdued voices muffled by heavy fabric, the girls said they wanted to stay where they were, said the article while quoting the parents.

Understandably, the parents are convinced that their daughters were under pressure, the article said, adding that in fact, they simply could not come to terms with the notion that their children have not only abandoned them, but also the faith they grew up in. As far as they are concerned, their daughters have been brainwashed. Interestingly, the girls have cited “religious channels on TV” as the reason for their conversion.

The parents said that their daughters never watched TV in their presence, nor did they ever discuss the possibility of a conversion. The paper quoted the parents as saying: “We just sit and stare at each other.

For us, life is over. Even if they have become Muslims, we are still their parents.”

Irfan Hussain concludes his article by saying: “But, Sammo and Champa are not converted with the larger issues regarding the place and fate of the minorities in Pakistan. All they want is justice. For them this involves being able to spend time alone with their beloved daughters, free from pressure and coercion, and to satisfy themselves that they took this drastic step on their own. Surely, in a state that aspires to Gen Musharraf's oft-touted ideal of ‘enlightened moderation' this should not be too much to ask for.”